the way north to maine. the mean sson in politics gets nastier with charges of infidelity. something close to a fistfight. and th're just getting started. the secret tape that drove a young man to take his own life d the two fellow students who may have driven him to it on the internet. "education nation." the parents who went to extremes to protect teachers whose jobs were on the line. and leading man. remembering one of the greats. tony curtis. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universatelevision good evening. it's as if a monster storm hopped on i-95 and drove it right up the east coast. last night at this time it was in miami. it has rocketed north, skirting the atlantic. a kind of relentless water pump. we're coming to you from washington tonight where the

potomac river, not far from here, is dangerously high, within sight of the nation monument. streets are flooded all over the region. the winds are high enough to have already caused damage and it's still motoring north an there's still more on the way. sour ore tom ctello starts us off from here in chevy chase, maryland. tom, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you. in fact, the east coast has been struggling through droht conditions, but today it got hammered. it started out with heavy rain, then flash flood and tornado watches fromhe outer banks of north carolina all the way north to new jersey. it was the dead of night when howling winds and the heaviest rains in months swept through the mid-atlantic. flooding neighborhoods, homes, roads, and making a mess of the morning rush. in metro washington, it caused one city bus to slam into another, injuring 26 passengs, including eight high schoolers. >> neck pain, back pain, minor lacerations and abrasions. >> reporter: the d.c. area is

expecting seven inches of rain by the time this all moves out tonight. >> we've got many creeks and streams out of their banks. >> reporter: in myrtle beach, south carolina, the water has much othe city in a stand still. >> hopefully it will drain off in the next day or so, but right now we can't get out. >> reporter: in north carolina, state troopers blame the weather for a traffic accidenthat killed three. the weather channel's julie martin is in a water logged wilmington, north carolina. >> this region has seen close to 22 inches of rain since sunday and more to come tonight. that's not only a four-day record, it's more rain than hurricane floyd produced back in 1999. >> reporter: meanwhile, a rerter was 600 miles north in new jersey. >> here they're expecting two to three inches of rain before morning. leading to minor flooding. >> reporter: up and down the atlantic seaboard, the surf is dangers and airport delays common. >> they canceled my flight due to weather and i'm supposed to leave tomorrow morning at 5:50.

>> reporter: back live here in chevy chase, maryland. the rain has started yet again. i's goi to get a lot heavier through the night before it dies away. we needed this rain, brian, but certainly not all in one day. back to you. >> tomostello starting us off tonight. tom, thanks. and here in washington tonight, a big change very close to the president. white house chief of staff rahm emanuel will announce tomoow that he's leaving hijob to go home and run for mayor of chicago, hoping to replace the retiring incumbent richard day. replacing rahm emanuel will be washington veteran pete rouse, currently a senior obama adviser and capitol hill veteran, whose introverted style could not be more different from the volatile and famously profane emanuel. with the midterm elections getting close, the increasing noise is making noise tonight.

ross the country, the voter anger being channeled by various candidates for office. tonight, opponents of the gop nominee for governor of new york are say he behaved like a thug in a piece of videotape that rocketed across the internet today. our own kelly o'donnell is here with us with all of it. kelly, good evening. >> reporte good evening. there were nasty accusations ying back and forth and a confrontation that got really personal. that candidate, carl paladino, has admitted his own infidelity and just accused his opponent of cheating with no proof. that's what set off this fight. but the bigger picture is how many voters and candidat have been losing their cool. anger management is not required or even expected this year. >> you're his bird dog. >> reporter: tea party republicanarl paladino, unloaded on a reporter with a list of grievances in his race for new york govnor. >> you send another goon to my daughter's house i'll take you out, buddy. >> how are you going to do that? >> watch. >> reporter: around the country,

thusual boundaries keep getting crossed as candidates sound off and act out voter's penlts up anger. >> i will hit the ground running, and come out swinging. >> reporter: in maine, a candidate for governor lashed out at the president. >> you're going to be seeing a t of me on the front page telling obama to go to hell. >> reporter: and democrats like congressman anthony wiener have boiled over, too. >> the gentleman will observe regular order and sit down! i will not! >> reporter: in this anger fueled political environment -- >> you know what? it's people who raise their voices and yell and scream like you that are dividing this country. we're here to bring this country together, not to divide it. >> repter: analysts say voters will choose to igne personal flaws or questionable credentials. >> when voters want to make a statement about their discontent, they will cross a lot of hurdles to do it, no question about that. >> reporter: first-time candidates sti get hit with

old school political attacks. in california's race for governor, republican meg whitman has been accused oemploying an illegal immigrant in her home. gloria allred says the woman knew she was undocumented. whitman denies that. >> i think this is a typical political stunt led by gloerial allred, who does this about every election cycle. >> as soon as somebody starts name calling me, i know essentially i've won the argument. >> reporter: leveraging voter anger may help somoutsider candidates win. but can it do the job? >> it's going to be a challenge for many of thesoutsider candidates to transition to washington and beffective. some of them will, and some of them won't. >> reporter: we're seeing when some of the candidates who show less than civil behavior get caed out, they don't give the usual clarification or apology. paladino, for example, he defended himself, said he was passionatend he dn't back down at all. we're finding anger itself is enough justification. >> and we've got well over a

month to go yet. kelly o'donnell with us here in washington. kelly, thanks. former president jimmy carter has arrived here in washington tonight after spenng the past two nights in an ohio hospital being treated for a bad viral infection. upon his release today, he thanked the staff of cleveland's metro health medical cter. he was rushed there by ambulance tuesday after feeling sick during the flight, but emerged today looking strong, carrying his own briefcase in fact. he's resuming his normal schedule of meetings here in the nation's capital tonight. he turns 8years old tomorrow. relations between the united states and pakistan may be at a new low tonight, and that tension is not a good thing for e u.s.trategy against terrorism. pakistan has now blocked a vital supply route into afghanistan after a helicopter strike killed three pastani troops along the border. pakistanis say it was a nato chopper that unleashed that strike. our own john yang is on duty tonight in kabul. john, goodvening.

>> rorter: good evening, brian. tonight, general david petraeus, the top u.s. commander here, has reached out to officials in pakistan to offer his condolences for the aths. but nato officials aren't yet ready to accept responsibility. pakistan wasted no time respding to the death of these three soldiers, killed at a border post in pakistan's tribal region by apache attack helicopter the choppers were supporting ground forces in afghanistan, who thought they spotted insurgents firing mortars. nato officials say the apaches took small arms fire from inside pakistan. >> operating in self-defense, the aircraft entered into pakistani air space, killing several armed individuals. >> reporter: within hours, pakistan blocked u.s. and coalition supply trucks heading into afghanistan. late today, more than 150 trucks were backed up in the khyber pass. the border crossing is on a vital supply line.

it handles about 80% of the military's fuel, food, water, and other non-lethal supplies bound for bases in afghanistan. anti-american sentiment is strong in pakistan. as cross border attacks are at an all-time high. today, the pakistani prime minister pressed the issue with the visiting cia director leon panetta. another official wondered whether the west was an ally or an enemy. >> are you fighting a war or are you in war together? >> reporter: the pakistani partnership is vital to the war effort. since 2001, the united states has given pakistan's military more than $10 billion to help it fight insurgents. fueling tensions between the two nations, cell phone video has surfaced purporting to show pakistani soldiers killing blind folded civilians. today, military officials told nbc news they're investigating and suggested the videos were staged to discredit them. tonight, nato officials say that

borderrossing would have to be closed for some time before troops begin to feel the pinch. but one told me they are actively lking for a way to bypassakistan with those supplies all together. brian? >> john yang at our nbc news bureau in kabul tonight. john, thanks. grim story in the news today in this country for the fourth time in the last few weeks, a teenager has taken his own life after being taunted and humiliat for being gay. in this case, a young man was recorded via hidden camera in what he thought was private was being play out over the internet. it combines the era of oversharing with the ultimate cruey. our story tonight from nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: he was an exuberant student and gifted musician who graduated high school with honors and scholarships. but the body of 18-year-old tyler clemente was pulled from the hudson river just days aft two of his rutgers college

freshman classmates allegedly secretly videotaped him during a sexual encounter with another man and streamed that video live. three days later, reportedly wrote on his facebook page, jumping off the g.w. bridge, sorry. but there's a growing chorus of voices saying this is an incident of not just of cyber bullying but of cyber gay bashing. >> that's really amplified and changed this unpleasant behavior. >> reporter: in one survey, 85% of lesbian, gay and transgender students reported being verbally harassed. 40% physically harassed. and 19% physically assaulted. in september alone, three other teens were mocked for being gay or perceived to being gay took their own lives. 13-year-old seth walsh of california, and 15-year-old biy lucas of indiana both hanged themselves. and 13-year-old asher brown of

texas killed himself with a gu >> his life was intended because of intolerance and hate. >> life gets better. >> reporter: relationship columnist dan savage, who's gay, says getting past the hate is hard but not impossible. >> when a gay kid commits suicide, what he's saying he can't picture a future with any joy in it, a fute worth toughing it out for. and i want gay kids to know that they can have a happy, fulfilled life, and experience joy. >> reporter: this week at rutgers, project civility was launched, an effort to improve interpersonal relationships. >> we're trying to create a campus where everywhere is safe. >> reporter: too late for tyler clemente. another precious young life gone. mike taibbi, nbc news, new brunswick, new jersey. when our broadcast continues in a moment, "education nation." you know how teachers have been under attack lately, tonight we meet parents who were willing to go to battle for their kids'

beloved teachers. late remembering one of the great leading men, tony curtis. the great leading men, tony curtis. words alone aren't enough. my job is to listen to the needs and frustrations of the shrimpers and fishermen, hotel or restaurant workers who lost their jobs to the spill. i'm iris cross. bp has taken full responsibility for the clean up in the gulf and thatncludes keeping you inform. our job is to listen and find ways to help. that means working with comnities.

restoring the jobs, tourist beaches, and businesses impacted by the spill. we've paid over $400 million in claims and set up a $20 blion independently-run claims fund to cover lost income until people impacted can get back to work. and our efforts aren't coming at tax-par expense. i know people are wondering-- now that the well is capped, is bp gonna meet its coitments? i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. i'm gonna be here until we make this right.

and we're back with tonight's "education nation" report, part of our network wide focus on schools. tonight, a story about the power of parents who saw good teachers about to lose their jobs and were determined not to let that happen. our own kristen welker has our report from cupertino, california. >> raise your hand if you did bubbles today. >> reporter: her title is first grade teacher. but for susan kitsen, this is much more than a job. >> i'm doing what i love. >> reporter: but lasspring, she became a victim of california's budget crisis. one of 107 teachers in the cupertino school dtrict who was told her position was on the chopping blo.

her pink slip came in the mail. >> i opened it up and i said, well, here it, is i'm official, i don't have a job next year. >> reporter: the news was equally devastating for how -- hoiyung po. >> i thought at the time that means my son will be going to a class with 30 kids instead of 20 kids. >> reporter: bigger classes meant less one on one time, so she and two other mothers made it their mission to save each and every job. >> we were going to lose our son's and daughter's teachers. >> reporter: they launched an aggressive grassroots campaign, asking parents to make donations, encouraging tchers to take furlough days and in eight weeks, they raised $2 million and saved all 107 teaching jobs. >> i thought to myself, oh, my gosh, we did it. >> reporter: the success in cupertino is catching on. d now parents in other

communities are learning they also have the power to improve their child's education. deanna lives in union city where 35 teaching jobs is at risk. now she's trying to achieve what the cupertino parents did. >> it's the going back tohe grassroots approach thateally was compelling for me. >> reporter: they are celebrating but say it's only a temporary fix. >> we need to elect officials that will add advocate for education. >> repter: but for 6-year-old a.j., what his mom achieved is everything. it turns out susan is his first grade teacher this year and the reason he loves school so much. kristen welker, nbc news, cupertino, california. wild ride on wall street today. the dow jumped more than 100 points o the opening bell, then fell back to close down just over 47 points. the bigger story, the market had its best september in 70 years. if the se could only be said about the rest of the economy.

when we come back, a discovery that raises the odds of finding life somewhere out there. there. what had happened in central harlem was failure became the norm. the schools were lousy... the healthcare was lousy... gangs were prevalent. violence was all over. families were falling apart. you can't raise children in a cmunity like that. people had been talking about things, but not doing anything. hi, mr. canada... how are you? 'm doing great, how 'bout you? right here on 119th street. if we could fix is blo, then we could fix the next block, then we could fix the nt block... we promised parents, if your child stays with us, i guarantee you that child is going to gradua from colle. failure is simply not an option. the sixty...the seventy... the eighty... the ninety-seven blocks which ends up being 10,000 children. we start wh children from birth, and stay with those children until they graduate. if you really want to have an impact that is large, you will get there going one step at a time. there is no act that is too small to make a difference. no matter what you want to do, members project from americaexpress

can help you take the first step. vote, volunteer or donate at membersproject.com. like medicare. this year, like always, we'll have our guaranteed benefits, and with the new heahcare law, more good things are coming: free check-ups, lower prescription costs, and better ways to protect us and medicare frofraud. see what else is new. i think you're gonna like it. ♪ you struggle to control your blood sugar. you exercise and eat right, but your blood sugar may still be high, and you need extra help.

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to pay $10 a month with the onglyza value card program. ♪ flintstones, meet the flintstones ♪ big tv anniversary tonight. "the flintstones" have turned 50. fun fact here. that theme song didn't come along undid their third season. the classic was the first animated program in primetime and many have forgotten over the years it was based on the black and white classic "the honeymooners." so happy 50th to fred, wilma, thwhole cast and crew. a massive recall tonight by one of the biggest makers of children's products, fisher-price. 10 million items, including tricycles, highchairs, toy cars,

some of the products have caused injuries including the triqes like the barbie models. they have a plastic key that sticks up and can ht kids if they fall on it. you can find a list of all the recalled items on our website, nightly.nbc.com. you may have heard the news, astronomers are excited because they think they found a place that could be a lot like home. it's a rocky planet about 20 light years awaybut that's practically nothing in astronomer terms and it's more like earth than anything else found thus far outside our solar system. that's why this discovery ha planet watchers so excited. >> we're barely onhe way to the moon or mars, much less the nearby stars. but it offers us some glimmeof hope for a universe in which we're not alone, but joined by other life forms, possibly even

intelligent. >> the astronomers are calling their discovery a goldilocks planet, not too cold, not too hot, possibly just right to sustain water anperhaps life. and it's nice to know if we screw this place up badly enough, there's a place we can all go. we're going take a break. when we come back, a brilliant career. remembering tony curtis. come back, a brilliant career. remembering tony curtis. ♪

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seems like we've been saying goodbye too my of the people who have entertained over the years. tonight, we have another farewell. tony curtis has died. he was 85. he was the son of a tailor in the bronx. he was first known in hollywood for his good looks and then later for his talent. he was durable, prolific, unique and moviegoers loved him. over six decades. tonight, nbc's george lewis has a look back. >> reporter: when yothink of tony curtis, one of the immortal images of him in drag opposite jack lemmon in "some like it hot." >> what are you afraid of? nody is asking you to have a baby. >> reporter: as an actor, he was not afraid of taking on risky roles. >> you can't go lynching me. i'm a white man. >> reporter: in "the defiant ones" playing a white, racist

escaped convict chained to a black man, sidney portier, he was nominated for an academy award. >> we gave them a hell of a run. >> reporter: curtis fought to get equal screen credit for portier. >> tony curtis got famous for his good looks and his great physique, and then turned out to be a really good actor. born bernard schwartz to parents in the bronx, he used those good looks to leap from poverty to stardom. >> don't fight it. relax. >> reporter: but early on, critics ridiculed his misplaced new york accent. >> wl you close your eyes and concentrate? >> reporter: his first of six wives was janet leigh. they are the parents of actress jamie lee curtis. tony curtis became an artist in his latter years, saying he used painting as part of his therapy to recover from addictions to alcohol and cocaine. >> i knew i was ing to die if i continued, but i didn't know how to stop.

>> reporter: and as for his legacy, after 150 films -- >> you've got to die before they say something nice about you. looking good is the best revenge. >> reporter: actually, he'll be remembered for a whole lot more than that. george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> and that's oubroadcast for this thursday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams reporting tonight from our washington bureau. we hope you'll join us again tomorrow night. good night. tomorrow night. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com .